Automotive radios have evolved into sophisticated infotainment systems, capable of providing content (e.g., audio content, video content, navigation and/or traffic information) from a number of sources. Some automotive radios include two tuners, a primary tuner and a background tuner. The primary tuner may be used to receive a broadcast via a frequency channel. The background tuner is often used to find alternate frequency channels for the same broadcast. The alternate frequency channel may be used, for example, to improve reception quality or for a geographical transfer of the broadcast as the vehicle approaches an alternate transmitter. Background tuners may also be used to build and maintain lists of available channels, as well as harvest digital data for a variety of applications. For example, a background tuner may harvest traffic information to aid a navigation device or may harvest news services for presentation on a display device.